Langley To Gain 298 Airmen

Langley Air Force Base will gain nearly 300 service members between now and next year under a force-restructuring plan that should reduce overseas deployment time while increasing combat punch.

Langley's 1st Fighter Wing is scheduled to gain 239 of those airmen, who could begin arriving as early as August. Most will go to maintenance and support units that keep the three F-15C Eagle squadrons based here flying.

"This is a substantial increase in the manning of the squadrons," said Maj. Bob English, manpower chief for the fighter wing. "Once in place and trained, they will reduce the amount of time an airman spends away from station and should increase morale and better retention."

The 298 additional airmen should translate to a boost of about 130 civilian-sector jobs and, altogether, $17.6 million to the Peninsula's economy, said John Whaley, deputy executive director for the Hampton Roads Planning District.

"This is part of an overall pattern of increased defense spending we are expecting," said Whaley. "This is all good news for Hampton Roads."

Most of the airmen will be lower ranking enlisted members working in fields ranging from engine mechanic to security.

The increases are in line with past Air Force decisions aimed at getting more sorties and air time out of its aging airplanes by providing the squadrons with more people, English said.

"We can finally fund this now," English said. "This will increase combat capability."

Just how many airmen will be based here is dependent upon recruitment and military schools.

"These are funded spaces," English said. "But this does not mean we are automatically going to get trained faces."

The airmen will come from other mission areas, although English didn't know which commands are losing people.

Rick Rogers can be reached at 247-4629 or by e-mail at rrogers@dailypress.com